Jackalope hotel opens on the Mornington Peninsula

Author: Larissa Dubecki

Ambition comes in many forms. At Jackalope, a boutique hotel
looking to shake up the Mornington Peninsula's desultory
accommodation options, it comes in the form of a seven-metre-tall
sculpture of a jackalope by Melbourne artist Emily Floyd.

What is a jackalope, you ask? The giant horned jackrabbit of
North American legend, of course. In this context, Jackalope is a
46-room hotel that hits the buzzwords of "boutique" and "luxury"
and hopes to inject glamour, sophistication and just a touch of the
surreal to the Willow Creek vineyard when it starts taking guests
from 1 April.

The work of 28-year-old Louis Li, originally of Kunming in
southern China, and latterly of Melbourne, where he moved nine
years ago to study filmmaking, Jackalope is an attempt to meld his
passions - art, design, food and storytelling - into one package.
"I want Jackalope to be a different voice in the hotel industry,"
says Li, "[and] challenge the luxury hotel landscape in Australia.
By reimagining the role art, design and storytelling can play in
the guest experience, I hope Jackalope will develop into a
hospitality landmark, offering guests a transformative experience -
an interplay between the ideal and the surreal."

Room details.

Li has translated his vision with the help of a host of
Melbourne creatives. Carr Design Group came up with the sleek black
modern building stretching dramatically above the vineyard, as well
as the interiors; Zuster created the furniture, with most of the
pieces one-off designs. Taylor Cullity Lethlean is responsible for
the landscaping, in grounds that include a yoga lawn and a black
30-metre infinity pool designed to create the illusion the water is
lapping over the vines. And as well as Floyd's giant jackalope,
there will be other site-specific art installations spread across
the public spaces

Food-wise, Jackalope is spreading its purview beyond its guests,
aiming to become a destination restaurant: two, in fact. Headed by
chef Guy Stanaway, recently of Noosa's Bistro C, the 80-seat Doot
Doot Doot will be the headline contemporary restaurant with a four-
or eight-course dégustation menu; Rare Hare is the more casual
option, a 100-seater with all-day dining.

Inside a room at
Jackalope.

This might be the first Jackalope, but it certainly won't be its
last. Li, who bought the Willow Creek vineyard in 2013 for a
reported $9.5 million, more recently added Flinders Lane's Maria
George building to his portfolio, with plans already under way to
turn it into the second Jackalope. "Beyond the two Melbourne
hotels, I would like to take Jackalope to my other favourite
cities, Shanghai and Los Angeles, in the next five years," says
Li.

To gauge his aspirations, perhaps one should look to group
general manager Tracy Atherton, who was headhunted from Canberra's
happening Hotel Hotel to take up the role. "Louis loved Hotel Hotel
and contacted me. The Mornington Peninsula is crying out for a
boutique like this. There's really nothing to this scale." With 10
years' experience at Aman resorts before Hotel Hotel, Atherton is
aiming for the same level of service (as for the price, rooms start
at $650 a night).

Bathroom.

"We'll be offering unique experiences for guests as well, such
as private cocktails and canapés at the edge of the vines.
Jackalope is not just a hotel, it's a memory.